ghidra-mcp

Ghidra MCP Server

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A production-ready Model Context Protocol (MCP) server that bridges Ghidra's powerful reverse engineering capabilities with modern AI tools and automation frameworks. 209 MCP tools, battle-tested AI workflows, and the most comprehensive Ghidra-MCP integration available — now including P-code emulation, live debugger integration, and PCode-graph data flow analysis.

Why Ghidra MCP?

Most Ghidra MCP implementations give you a handful of read-only tools and call it a day. This project is different — it was built by a reverse engineer who uses it daily on real binaries, not as a demo.

• 209 MCP tools — 3x more than any competing implementation. Not just read operations — full write access for renaming, typing, commenting, structure creation, script execution, P-code emulation, and live debugging.
• Battle-tested AI workflows — Proven documentation workflows (V5) refined across hundreds of functions. Includes step-by-step prompts, Hungarian notation reference, batch processing guides, and orphaned code discovery.
• Production-grade reliability — Atomic transactions, batch operations (93% API call reduction), configurable timeouts, and graceful error handling. No silent failures.
• Cross-binary documentation transfer — SHA-256 function hash matching propagates documentation across binary versions automatically. Document once, apply everywhere.
• Full Ghidra Server integration — Connect to shared Ghidra servers, manage repositories, version control, checkout/checkin workflows, and multi-user collaboration.
• Headless and GUI modes — Run with or without the Ghidra GUI. Docker-ready for CI/CD pipelines and automated analysis at scale.
• Opinionated by design — v5.0 moves naming conventions, type safety, and documentation standards into the tool layer. AI agents and human engineers produce consistent output without style guides in every prompt.

Convention Enforcement

You've been there: six months into a project you find ProcessItem, process_items, handleItem, and ItemProc in the same codebase — four functions doing the same thing, named by four different sessions or engineers with no shared contract. Fixing it takes longer than it should, and the problem will happen again.

v5.0 moves conventions from "things to remember" into the tool layer, where they can actually be enforced.

Tier	Behavior	Example
Auto-fix	Applied silently	count field on a uint32 → auto-prefixed dwCount on save
Warn	Change goes through, warning returned	processData → "name should be PascalCase with a verb: ProcessData"
Reject	Change blocked with explanation	undefined → undefined type change → "no-op rejected, type unchanged"

For AI agents, this means consistent output across every session, every model, every run — without pasting a style guide into every prompt. The tool knows the rules; the model just needs to make the call.

For teams, it eliminates the entire class of review comment that says "that's not our naming convention." Convention arbitration stays in the tool, not in code review.

For solo work at scale, analyze_function_completeness gives you a 0–100% score that measures honestly: structural deductions (unfixable compiler artifacts) are forgiven in your effective score, log-scaling prevents one bad category from burying everything else, and tiered plate comment quality means you know exactly what's missing and why.

🌟 Features

Core MCP Integration

• Full MCP Compatibility — Complete implementation of Model Context Protocol
• 209 MCP tools — Comprehensive API surface covering every aspect of binary analysis
• Production-Ready Reliability — Atomic transactions, batch operations, configurable timeouts
• Real-time Analysis — Live integration with Ghidra's analysis engine

Compatibility note: MCP tool names are normalized for GitHub Copilot CLI and CAPI validation. Exposed tool names use lowercase letters, digits, underscores, and hyphens only; nested HTTP paths such as /debugger/status are advertised as names like debugger_status_2 when needed to avoid collisions with static bridge tools.

Binary Analysis Capabilities

• Function Analysis — Decompilation, call graphs, cross-references, completeness scoring
• Data Flow Analysis — PCode-graph value propagation (forward / backward) from any variable or register
• Data Structure Discovery — Struct/union/enum creation with field analysis and naming suggestions
• String Extraction — Regex search, quality filtering, and string-anchored function discovery
• Import/Export Analysis — Symbol tables, external locations, ordinal import resolution
• Memory & Data Inspection — Raw memory reads, byte pattern search, array boundary detection
• Cross-Binary Documentation — Function hash matching and documentation propagation across versions

Dynamic Analysis (v5.4.0)

• P-code Emulation — Run any function in isolation via Ghidra's EmulatorHelper; brute-force API hash resolution in milliseconds
• Live Debugger Integration — 17 Java endpoints + 22 Python bridge tools over Ghidra's TraceRmi framework (dbgeng on Windows PE, gdb/lldb otherwise): attach, step, breakpoints, registers, memory reads, non-breaking function tracing, ASLR-aware static↔dynamic address translation

AI-Powered Reverse Engineering Workflows

• Function Documentation Workflow V5 — 7-step process for complete function documentation with Hungarian notation, type auditing, and automated verification scoring
• Batch Documentation — Parallel subagent dispatch for documenting multiple functions simultaneously
• Orphaned Code Discovery — Automated scanner finds undiscovered functions in gaps between known code
• Data Type Investigation — Systematic workflows for structure discovery and field analysis
• Cross-Version Matching — Hash-based function matching across different binary versions

Development & Automation

• Ghidra Script Management — Create, run, update, and delete Ghidra scripts entirely via MCP
• Multi-Program Support — Switch between and compare multiple open programs
• Batch Operations — Bulk renaming, commenting, typing, and label management (93% fewer API calls)
• Headless Server — Full analysis without Ghidra GUI — Docker and CI/CD ready
• Project & Version Control — Create projects, manage files, Ghidra Server integration
• Analysis Control — List, configure, and trigger Ghidra analyzers programmatically

🚀 Quick Start

Prerequisites

• Java 21 LTS (OpenJDK recommended)
• Apache Maven 3.9+
• Ghidra 12.1.3 (or compatible version)
• Python 3.10+ with uv (recommended) or pip + venv

Shared Ghidra Server users: Ghidra 12.1.3 clients require a Ghidra Server at 12.1, 12.0.5, or a newer compatible version. Upgrade the server before using this plugin from a 12.1 client.

Ghidra 12.1.3 ships Jython as an optional extension. Java scripts work by default, but .py scripts in ghidra_scripts/ require installing the Jython extension from File > Install Extensions and restarting Ghidra.

Installation

Recommended for all platforms: use python -m tools.setup directly.

ensure-prereqs installs runtime Python requirements plus the Ghidra JARs needed in the local Maven repository. deploy copies the build output, installs the user-profile extension, and patches Ghidra user config.

1. Clone the repository:

   git clone https://github.com/bethington/ghidra-mcp.git
   cd ghidra-mcp
   

2. Recommended: run environment preflight first:

   python -m tools.setup preflight --ghidra-path "F:\ghidra_12.1.3_PUBLIC"
   

3. Build and deploy to Ghidra:

   python -m tools.setup ensure-prereqs --ghidra-path "F:\ghidra_12.1.3_PUBLIC"
   python -m tools.setup build
   python -m tools.setup deploy --ghidra-path "F:\ghidra_12.1.3_PUBLIC"
   

   deploy saves/closes an already-running matching Ghidra instance when needed, installs the extension, starts Ghidra, waits for MCP health, and runs schema smoke checks.

   Prefer to click through Ghidra's own dialogs, or installing a release zip on a machine without the repo? Follow the illustrated manual GUI install guide.

4. Optional strict/manual mode (advanced):

   # Skip automatic prerequisite setup
   python -m tools.setup build
   python -m tools.setup deploy --ghidra-path "F:\ghidra_12.1.3_PUBLIC"
   

5. Show command help:

   python -m tools.setup --help
   

6. Optional build-only mode (advanced/troubleshooting):

   python -m tools.setup build
   

   Two Java backends are supported. Gradle is the default for local work — it reads Ghidra's jars straight out of the installation, so there is no install-file step and nothing to install beyond a JDK. CI builds and gates with Maven, so Maven is a maintained peer rather than a fallback.

   # Gradle (default) -- the wrapper is committed, so no Gradle install is needed.
   # -PGHIDRA_INSTALL_DIR or the GHIDRA_INSTALL_DIR env var both work.
   # In Git Bash use forward slashes; a backslash path is mangled before Gradle sees it.
   ./gradlew buildExtension -PGHIDRA_INSTALL_DIR=/path/to/ghidra
   

   # Maven (peer backend; what CI uses). Needs Ghidra's jars in the local .m2 first:
   #   python -m tools.setup ensure-prereqs --ghidra-path /path/to/ghidra
   mvn clean package assembly:single -DskipTests
   

   python -m tools.setup build routes to Maven by default; set TOOLS_SETUP_BACKEND=gradle to route it to Gradle instead.

Installation (Linux — Ubuntu/Debian)

1. Clone the repository:

   git clone https://github.com/bethington/ghidra-mcp.git
   cd ghidra-mcp
   

2. Install system prerequisites (if not already installed):

   sudo apt update && sudo apt install -y openjdk-21-jdk maven python3 python3-pip python3-venv curl jq unzip
   

   Debian/Kali/Ubuntu 23.04+ note (PEP 668): these distros mark the system Python as externally managed, so a bare pip install fails with error: externally-managed-environment. Don't work around it with --break-system-packages — it can corrupt apt-managed tooling. Instead use uv (recommended — it creates and manages a project-local .venv automatically, and is what this repo's commands use):

   curl -LsSf https://astral.sh/uv/install.sh | sh
   uv run bridge-mcp-ghidra    # resolves deps into .venv and starts the bridge
   

   or a classic virtual environment:

   python3 -m venv .venv && source .venv/bin/activate
   pip install -e .
   bridge-mcp-ghidra
   

3. Run environment preflight:

   python -m tools.setup preflight --ghidra-path ~/ghidra_12.1.3_PUBLIC
   

4. Build and deploy to Ghidra (single command):

   python -m tools.setup ensure-prereqs --ghidra-path ~/ghidra_12.1.3_PUBLIC
   python -m tools.setup build
   python -m tools.setup deploy --ghidra-path ~/ghidra_12.1.3_PUBLIC
   

   This will:

   • Install Ghidra JAR dependencies into your local ~/.m2/repository
   • Build GhidraMCP-<version>.zip with Maven
   • Extract the extension to ~/.config/ghidra/ghidra_<version>_PUBLIC/Extensions/
   • Update preferences with LastExtensionImportDirectory
   • Install Python requirements

5. Optional: setup only Maven dependencies:

   python -m tools.setup install-ghidra-deps --ghidra-path ~/ghidra_12.1.3_PUBLIC
   

6. Show command help:

   python -m tools.setup --help
   

Linux paths: The extension is installed to $HOME/.config/ghidra/ghidra_<version>_PUBLIC/Extensions/GhidraMCP/. Ghidra config files are in $HOME/.config/ghidra/ghidra_<version>_PUBLIC/.

Installation (macOS — Homebrew)

1. Install prerequisites:

   brew install openjdk@21 maven python ghidra
   

2. Clone the repository:

   git clone https://github.com/bethington/ghidra-mcp.git
   cd ghidra-mcp
   

3. Install Ghidra JARs into local Maven:

    python -m tools.setup install-ghidra-deps \
       --ghidra-path /opt/homebrew/opt/ghidra/libexec
   

4. Build and deploy:

    python -m tools.setup ensure-prereqs \
       --ghidra-path /opt/homebrew/opt/ghidra/libexec
    python -m tools.setup build
    python -m tools.setup deploy \
       --ghidra-path /opt/homebrew/opt/ghidra/libexec
   

   The extension is installed to ~/Library/ghidra/ghidra_12.1.3_PUBLIC/Extensions/GhidraMCP/.

   Note: --ghidra-version is required when using the Homebrew path because the path contains no version string.

5. Start Ghidra and enable the plugin:

   /opt/homebrew/opt/ghidra/libexec/ghidraRun
   

   The server starts with the plugin. Check it from the project window: Tools > GhidraMCP > Server Status

6. Configure Cursor/Claude MCP (~/.cursor/mcp.json) — use the absolute path to uv (which uv), not the bare name; GUI-launched clients do not inherit your shell's PATH (#441):

   {
     "mcpServers": {
       "ghidra": {
         "command": "/opt/homebrew/bin/uv",
         "args": ["run", "--directory", "/path/to/ghidra-mcp", "bridge-mcp-ghidra"]
       }
     }
   }
   

   macOS is the sharpest case: apps launched from Finder/Dock get launchd's PATH, which never contains ~/.local/bin or /opt/homebrew/bin.

Installation (Arch Linux — AUR)

@Pandoriaantje maintains community AUR packages:

• ghidra-mcp-git — tracks main
• ghidra-mcp — tracks tagged releases

Install with your AUR helper of choice, e.g.:

yay -S ghidra-mcp        # or ghidra-mcp-git

Basic Usage

Option 1: Stdio Transport (Recommended for AI tools)

uv run bridge-mcp-ghidra          # or: python -m bridge_mcp_ghidra

MCP client config (.mcp.json, ~/.cursor/mcp.json, Claude Desktop config, …). Use the absolute path to uv — see the note below for why:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "ghidra-mcp": {
      "command": "/home/<you>/.local/bin/uv",
      "args": ["run", "--directory", "/path/to/ghidra-mcp", "bridge-mcp-ghidra", "--transport", "stdio"],
      "env": { "GHIDRA_MCP_URL": "http://127.0.0.1:8089" }
    }
  }
}

On Windows the same config points at uv.exe, e.g. "command": "C:\\Users\\<you>\\.local\\bin\\uv.exe". Find your own path with which uv (POSIX) or where.exe uv (Windows), or just run python -m tools.setup preflight, which prints the resolved absolute path and a ready-to-paste snippet.

Why absolute? "command": "uv" fails under service and GUI launchers. The MCP client resolves command with its own PATH, not your shell's. A client started from a systemd user service, a .desktop entry, or any other GUI session inherits that launcher's environment, which routinely lacks ~/.local/bin and ~/.cargo/bin — the very directories uv installs into. The failure lands at process-spawn time as spawn uv ENOENT, before any bridge code runs, so there is nothing in any log to read. An absolute path makes the client's PATH irrelevant and works on the first try. The same applies to python, python3, and the bridge-mcp-ghidra console script. (#441)

To add the bridge to Autohand Code from a cloned checkout:

autohand mcp add ghidra /home/<you>/.local/bin/uv run --directory /path/to/ghidra-mcp bridge-mcp-ghidra

Add --scope project before ghidra to save the server in the current project's .autohand configuration instead of your user configuration.

Option 2: Streamable HTTP Transport (Recommended for web/HTTP clients)

uv run bridge-mcp-ghidra --transport streamable-http --mcp-host 127.0.0.1 --mcp-port 8081

MCP client config for the HTTP transport (add to your client's MCP config file):

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "ghidra-mcp-http": {
      "url": "http://127.0.0.1:8081/mcp"
    }
  }
}

Browser-based clients (e.g. MCP Inspector) work out of the box: the HTTP transports answer CORS preflight (OPTIONS) requests and expose the mcp-session-id / mcp-protocol-version headers to scripts. Allowed origins mirror the Host-header policy — loopback on any port is always permitted, plus the bind host and any hosts listed in GHIDRA_MCP_ALLOWED_HOSTS.

GHIDRA_MCP_ALLOWED_HOSTS also supports clients that route a loopback-bound bridge through another network namespace. For example, a container can address the host as host.containers.internal without exposing the bridge on a LAN interface:

GHIDRA_MCP_ALLOWED_HOSTS=host.containers.internal \
  uv run bridge-mcp-ghidra --transport streamable-http \
  --mcp-host 127.0.0.1 --mcp-port 8081

The setting extends DNS-rebinding Host/Origin validation only; it does not change the bind address or make the listener reachable on additional interfaces.

Option 3: SSE Transport (Deprecated — use streamable-http instead)

uv run bridge-mcp-ghidra --transport sse --mcp-host 127.0.0.1 --mcp-port 8081

Bridge advanced flags

Flag	Default	Description
--transport	stdio	stdio (AI tools), streamable-http (web clients), sse (deprecated)
--mcp-host	127.0.0.1	Bind host for HTTP transports
--mcp-port	—	Port for HTTP transports
--lazy	(default)	Load only the default tool groups on connect, and let the model pull in the rest with search_tools/load_tool_group.
--no-lazy	off	Load all tool groups immediately on connect. Needed only by MCP clients that ignore tools/list_changed; rejected outright by the Gemini API (see below).
--default-groups	listing,function,program	Comma-separated groups loaded on connect under --lazy.

Lazy tool loading is the default (issue #440)

Advertising all 209 endpoints in a single tools/list is over a hard limit for at least one major provider. Gemini compiles function declarations into a constrained-decoding state machine and rejects the whole request before any tool is ever called:

400 INVALID_ARGUMENT
The specified schema produces a constraint that has too many states for serving

That is not a degradation, it is an outright break, and no client-side setting could work around a server that only ever offered the full set. So the bridge now loads listing,function,program (84 endpoints plus the 8 static tools) on connect and registers the rest on demand.

If your client ignores tools/list_changed it will not notice tools that are registered later, and should turn lazy loading off:

uv run bridge-mcp-ghidra --no-lazy          # when you control the command line
export GHIDRA_MCP_LAZY=0                    # when you don't (Docker, uvx, some client configs)

GHIDRA_MCP_LAZY accepts 0/false/no/off and 1/true/yes/on; an explicit --lazy/--no-lazy on the command line wins over it. Startup logs which mode is in effect.

Strict program routing (multi-program safety)

Set GHIDRA_MCP_REQUIRE_PROGRAM_SELECTORS=1 to make the bridge refuse any program-scoped call that omits a program selector, returning a clear error instead of letting the call ride the server's shared "current program" (the one switch_program and the active GUI tab move).

export GHIDRA_MCP_REQUIRE_PROGRAM_SELECTORS=1
uv run bridge-mcp-ghidra

Without this, a call that leaves program= out runs against whichever program is current, which is fine for a single-program workflow but a hazard once several programs are open: the call can read or edit the wrong binary with no error. The hazard is worse when more than one client shares a server, since each one moves that current-program global out from under the others.

With strict mode on, every program-scoped call must name its target. This covers every selector that picks an open program: plain program= and the cross-program tools' source_program/target_program or program_a/program_b (declared required, but the server still falls back to the current program when one arrives empty). A forgotten selector surfaces as a loud error on the first bad call instead of a silent write to the wrong binary. Tools with no program selector (open_program and close_program take path/name) are unaffected. Off by default: with the variable unset the bridge sends calls unchanged.

Reducing tool-context overhead

The bridge exposes a large catalog, so it loads only listing,function,program on connect (see above) and lets the model discover the rest on demand instead of registering everything:

• search_tools("rename function") — keyword-search the entire catalog, including tools whose group isn't loaded. Each result says whether it's callable now and, if not, the exact load_tool_group(...) call to enable it.
• list_tool_groups() — list all categories and their load state.
• load_tool_group("datatype") / unload_tool_group("datatype") — load or drop a category at runtime.
• check_tools("rename_symbol,batch_set_comments") — confirm specific tools are callable right now.

search_tools works in both lazy and --no-lazy modes, so agents that honor tools/list_changed get full discovery without the upfront context cost.

Minimal read-only allowlist

Some MCP clients gate tools through an explicit allowlist. Cut it too far and the agent loses discovery — it cannot find entry points or enumerate functions through MCP, so it works around the allowlist by curl-ing the HTTP API on 127.0.0.1:8089 directly, which defeats the point of having one. The allowlist has to be small and self-sufficient.

Minimum viable read-only set (4 tools):

Tool	Group	What it buys you
get_metadata	program	Which binary is loaded — name, architecture, image base, function count. Orientation, and it confirms the bridge reached Ghidra at all.
list_methods	listing	Paginated function-name enumeration (offset, limit). This is the discovery tool — without it the agent cannot answer "what is in this binary".
get_entry_points	listing	Where execution starts, so analysis has a root to work down from.
decompile_function	function	The payload. Takes address or functions= (comma-separated names or addresses), so one call can pull several bodies.

That set is genuinely closed: get_entry_points and list_methods supply the addresses and names that decompile_function consumes, and a decompiled body names its callees, which feed straight back into decompile_function.

The three tools suggested in #441 — get_metadata, get_entry_points, decompile_function — all exist under exactly those names and are a workable floor. list_methods is the one addition worth making: without it the agent can only reach code that is reachable by name from something it already decompiled, so anything not referenced from an entry point is invisible.

Useful next additions, in order:

Tool	Group	Why
get_function_callers / get_function_callees	xref	Walk the call graph without decompiling every body to find edges.
get_xrefs_to	xref	Who touches this address — the standard question about a global.
list_strings	listing	Strings are the cheapest orientation signal in an unknown binary.
search_functions	listing	Name search, once the agent knows what it is hunting for.
list_imports / list_exports	listing	The binary's external surface.

Every tool above is a GET; none of them writes to the Ghidra database.

Two things to check when your allowlist is narrow:

• Groups, not just names. The bridge registers tools by group, and the group is the category on the Java @McpTool annotation (which the running server publishes at /mcp/schema) — not the category field in tests/endpoints.json, which is a separate hand-maintained column and does not always agree. All four tools in the minimum set fall inside the default listing,function,program groups, so they are registered even under --lazy. Of the additions above, only the xref ones fall outside: under --lazy you must either allow load_tool_group as well, or start the bridge with --default-groups listing,function,program,xref.
• A narrow allowlist plus --lazy needs the group tools. If you allowlist only leaf tools and run lazily, the agent has no way to load anything else. Either run eagerly (--no-lazy, the default) or add search_tools, list_tool_groups, load_tool_group, and check_tools to the allowlist.

Verify any allowlist against the running server rather than against this table: curl http://127.0.0.1:8089/mcp/schema lists every tool with the category the bridge groups it by.

Optional: Connect a standalone debugger server

The debugger server itself moved to the d2-game-exe repository on 2026-08-11 (its D2 calling-convention layer made it game-specific). Start it there, then point this bridge at it:

export GHIDRA_DEBUGGER_URL=http://127.0.0.1:8099

The bridge's 22 debugger_* proxy tools register only when that variable is set, so leaving it unset costs nothing — the tools simply do not appear rather than appearing and failing.

Debugger server flags:

Flag	Default	Description
--port	8099	HTTP server port
--host	127.0.0.1	Bind address (0.0.0.0 to expose on LAN)
--exports-dir	—	Path to a dll_exports/ directory for ordinal-to-name resolution
--log-level	INFO	DEBUG, INFO, WARNING, or ERROR

Set GHIDRA_DEBUGGER_URL in .env if you change the default port or host so the bridge can find it.

In Ghidra

1. Start Ghidra and open a CodeBrowser window
2. In CodeBrowser, enable the plugin via File > Configure > Utility > Configure > GhidraMCPPlugin
3. Optional: configure custom port via CodeBrowser > Edit > Tool Options > GhidraMCP HTTP Server
4. The server starts with the plugin; check it via Tools > GhidraMCP > Server Status in the project window
5. The server runs on http://127.0.0.1:8089/ by default

Screenshots of every step: docs/INSTALL_GUI.md.

Verify It's Working

# Quick health check
curl http://127.0.0.1:8089/check_connection
# Expected: {"status": "ok", "server_kind": "gui", "version": "7.0.0", "program": "<name>"}

# Get version info
curl http://127.0.0.1:8089/mcp/health

Support This Project

If Ghidra MCP saves you engineering or reverse-engineering time, consider sponsoring the project.

• One-time sponsorship helps fund fixes, compatibility updates, and release work.
• Recurring sponsorship helps keep maintenance, docs, and production hardening moving.
• Company support helps prioritize long-term reliability for the bridge, headless server, debugger integration, and workflow tooling.

🔒 Security

GhidraMCP is designed for localhost-only development. The default configuration — HTTP server bound to 127.0.0.1, no authentication — is safe on a trusted single-user workstation and matches pre-v5.4.1 behavior.

If you expose the server beyond loopback, configure these three environment variables first. The server refuses to start on a non-loopback bind without a token.

Env var	Effect
GHIDRA_MCP_AUTH_TOKEN	When set, every HTTP request must carry Authorization: Bearer <token>. Timing-safe comparison. /mcp/health, /health, /check_connection are exempt.
GHIDRA_MCP_ALLOW_SCRIPTS	Set to 1, true, or yes to enable /run_script_inline and /run_ghidra_script. Off by default as of v5.4.1 — these endpoints execute arbitrary Java against the Ghidra process. In headless mode this also triggers OSGi BundleHost initialization at server startup (Felix framework, ~hundreds of ms); leave it off if you don't need script execution.
GHIDRA_MCP_FILE_ROOT	When set to a directory path, filesystem-path endpoints (/import_file, /open_project, /delete_file, etc.) canonicalize the input and require it to fall under this root. Prevents path-traversal.

Name-quality enforcement is separate from security. By default, rename_function and global write endpoints reject names that fail the built-in quality gates, and struct field writes apply the built-in field prefix convention. Disable the built-in convention layer with Edit > Tool Options > GhidraMCP HTTP Server > Strict Naming Enforcement. The same Tool Options checkbox covers rename_symbol (all symbol kinds), set_global, the apply_data_type prefix/type guard, and struct-field Hungarian prefix auto-fixes in create_struct, add_struct_field, and modify_struct_field. The setting is read when the MCP server starts or restarts. Function/global convention warnings are still returned when enforcement is disabled.

Example: exposing to a private LAN with auth

export GHIDRA_MCP_AUTH_TOKEN=$(openssl rand -hex 32)
export GHIDRA_MCP_ALLOW_SCRIPTS=1     # only if your workflow needs it
export GHIDRA_MCP_FILE_ROOT=/srv/ghidra/inputs

java -jar GhidraMCPHeadless.jar --bind 0.0.0.0 --port 8089

Ghidra Server authentication

When connecting to a shared Ghidra Server, GhidraMCP can suppress the password dialog automatically. It resolves credentials in this order (first non-empty value wins):

Compatibility note: Ghidra 12.1.3 clients require Ghidra Server 12.1.2, 12.0.5, or a newer compatible server. Older shared servers are not safe targets for a 12.1 client upgrade.

1. GHIDRA_SERVER_PASSWORD environment variable (or .env file in the Ghidra install directory or ~)
2. ~/.ghidra-cred — single-line password file in your home directory
3. <ghidra-install-dir>/.ghidra-cred

Username resolves similarly: GHIDRA_SERVER_USER env var → user.name system property.

If no password is found, Ghidra shows its normal GUI prompt. Set these in .env (see .env.template for the full block) to enable silent auth.

Migration from v5.4.0 → v5.4.1

• Script endpoints now default-off. If you relied on /run_script_inline or /run_ghidra_script, export GHIDRA_MCP_ALLOW_SCRIPTS=1. This is a deliberate breaking change; the prior default was unsafe.
• Localhost-only deployments need no changes. Auth, bind refusal, and path-root checks are all opt-in.

❓ Troubleshooting

spawn uv ENOENT / spawn python ENOENT when the client starts the server

Cause: the MCP client could not find the command on its own PATH. This happens before any bridge code runs, so there is nothing in the Ghidra log or the bridge log to look at — the process was never created.

It shows up when the client is launched by something other than a login shell:

• a systemd user service (systemctl --user), whose PATH is /usr/local/bin:/usr/bin:/bin unless you extend it;
• a desktop .desktop entry, dock icon, or app launcher;
• macOS apps started from Finder, which inherit launchd's PATH.

None of those contain ~/.local/bin (uv's default install location) or ~/.cargo/bin, so "command": "uv" cannot resolve even though uv works perfectly in your terminal.

Solution: use an absolute path in the client config.

// before — resolves against the client's PATH, fails under a service/GUI launcher
"command": "uv"
// after — no PATH lookup at all
"command": "/home/<you>/.local/bin/uv"

Find yours with which uv (POSIX) or where.exe uv (Windows). Or run:

python -m tools.setup preflight

which prints the resolved absolute path, the PATH entries it searched when a launcher is missing, and a ready-to-paste config snippet. Note what that check can and cannot tell you: it resolves against your shell's PATH, not the client's, so a pass there is evidence, not proof — the absolute path is what actually removes the failure mode. (#441)

If you must keep a bare command name, give the service manager the PATH instead — e.g. Environment="PATH=%h/.local/bin:/usr/local/bin:/usr/bin:/bin" in the unit file, or systemctl --user import-environment PATH — but the absolute path is the smaller and more portable fix.

"GhidraMCP" menu not appearing in Tools

Cause: Plugin not enabled or installed incorrectly.

Solution:

1. Verify extension is installed: File > Install Extensions — GhidraMCP should be listed
2. Enable the plugin: File > Configure > Utility > Configure > GhidraMCPPlugin (check the box)
3. Restart Ghidra after installation/enabling

Illustrated walkthrough: docs/INSTALL_GUI.md.

Server not responding / Connection refused

Cause: Server not started or wrong port.

Solution:

1. Check the server state: Tools > GhidraMCP > Server Status (it starts with the plugin; use Restart Server if it is stopped)

2. Check configured port: Edit > Tool Options > GhidraMCP HTTP Server

3. Check if port is in use:

   # Linux/macOS
   lsof -i :8089
   # Windows
   netstat -ano | findstr :8089
   

4. Look for errors in Ghidra console: Window > Console

pip install fails with error: externally-managed-environment

Cause: PEP 668. Debian-family distros (Debian 12+, Kali, Ubuntu 23.04+) mark the system Python as externally managed, so global pip install is blocked to protect apt-managed packages.

Solution: Use a virtual environment — never --break-system-packages. The recommended path is uv, which manages a project-local .venv automatically:

curl -LsSf https://astral.sh/uv/install.sh | sh
cd ghidra-mcp
uv run bridge-mcp-ghidra

Or a classic venv:

python3 -m venv .venv && source .venv/bin/activate
pip install -e .
bridge-mcp-ghidra

The debugger_* tools do not appear

Cause: They are registered only when GHIDRA_DEBUGGER_URL is set, and only on Windows. The debugger server they proxy to lives in the d2-game-exe repository since 2026-08-11 — this repo ships the proxies, not the server.

Solution: start the debugger server from that repo, then set the URL before launching the bridge:

export GHIDRA_DEBUGGER_URL=http://127.0.0.1:8099

A ModuleNotFoundError for pybag or comtypes while starting that server is a missing optional dependency on its side; install its Windows-only extras from that repo, and make sure you install into and run from the same interpreter.

500 Internal Server Errors

Cause: Server-side exception, often due to missing program data.

Solution:

1. Ensure a binary is loaded in CodeBrowser
2. Run auto-analysis first: Analysis > Auto Analyze
3. Check Ghidra console (Window > Console) for Java exceptions
4. Some operations require fully analyzed binaries

404 Not Found Errors

Cause: Endpoint doesn't exist or wrong URL.

Solution:

1. Verify endpoint exists: curl http://127.0.0.1:8089/mcp/health
2. Check for typos in endpoint name
3. Ensure you're using correct HTTP method (GET vs POST)

Python Ghidra scripts fail with "No script provider found"

Cause: In Ghidra 12.1.3, Jython support is no longer enabled by default. .py scripts need the bundled Jython extension; Python 3 scripts should use PyGhidra instead of the Ghidra Script Manager.

Solution:

1. In the Ghidra Front End, open File > Install Extensions.
2. Check Jython, restart Ghidra, then refresh Script Manager.
3. For new automation, prefer Java Ghidra scripts or PyGhidra.

Extension not appearing in Install Extensions

Cause: JAR file in wrong location.

Solution:

1. Manual install location: ~/.config/ghidra/ghidra_12.1.3_PUBLIC/Extensions/GhidraMCP/lib/GhidraMCP.jar (%APPDATA%\ghidra\... on Windows, ~/Library/ghidra/... on macOS)
2. Or use: File > Install Extensions > Add and select the ZIP file — see the illustrated guide
3. Ensure JAR/ZIP was built for your Ghidra version

Build fails with "Ghidra dependencies not found"

Cause: Ghidra JARs not installed in local Maven repository.

Solution:

# Windows (recommended)
python -m tools.setup install-ghidra-deps --ghidra-path "C:\ghidra_12.1.3_PUBLIC"

📊 Production Performance

• MCP Tools: 209 tools fully implemented (the whole catalog; the GUI plugin serves 205 of them and the headless server 190)
• Speed: Sub-second response for most operations
• Efficiency: 93% reduction in API calls via batch operations
• Reliability: Atomic transactions with all-or-nothing semantics
• AI Workflows: Proven documentation prompts refined across hundreds of real functions
• Deployment: Automated version-aware deployment script

🛠️ API Reference

209 MCP tools backed by HTTP endpoints, grouped by catalog category. Generated from tests/endpoints.json by python -m tools.gen_readme_api_reference --write; the live schema at /mcp/schema is authoritative at runtime. Usage patterns: docs/prompts/TOOL_USAGE_GUIDE.md.

186 of these are served by both the GUI plugin and the standalone headless server. The rest are marked (GUI only) (19) or (headless only) (4) — calling one against the other server returns a 404, not an error message. See python -m tools.audit_server_scope for how the split is derived.

Program & Session Management

• analysis_status - Get auto-analysis status for open programs
• close_program - Close an open program by project path or name
• create_memory_block - Create memory block, optionally initialized with byte contents (hex or base64)
• create_property_map - Create a user property map to store typed values keyed by address
• delete_bookmark - Delete bookmark
• delete_property_map - Delete a user property map and all values it holds
• exit_ghidra - Save and exit Ghidra
• get_address_spaces - List all physical and overlay address spaces in the program (overlays include is_overlay flag and overlayed_space name)
• get_language_metadata - Dump the program's language description: address spaces, registers, default symbols, endianness, pointer size (issue #192)
• get_metadata - Get program metadata
• get_program_options - Read all options in a program option group with types, current values, defaults, and descriptions
• get_property - Read the value stored at an address in a property map
• import_file - Import a binary file from disk into the current Ghidra project and open it
• list_bookmarks - List bookmarks
• list_open_programs - List open programs
• list_project_files - List project files
• list_properties - List (address, value) entries stored in a property map, with pagination
• list_scripts - List available Ghidra scripts
• open_program - Open program from project
• read_memory - Read raw memory
• reanalyze - Trigger full auto-analysis on a program
• remove_program_option - Remove an option from a program option group
• remove_property - Remove the value stored at a single address in a property map
• run_ghidra_script - Run script with output capture
• run_script_inline - Run inline script code
• save_all_programs - Save all open programs
• save_program - Save current program
• set_bookmark - Set bookmark
• set_image_base - Set the base address of the program (rebases all addresses)
• set_program_option - Set a typed program option
• set_property - Set a value at an address in a property map
• switch_program - Switch current program

Project Organization

• archive_project - Archive the currently open project to a Ghidra-native .gar file
• checkin_program - Check an open program back in to the shared Ghidra Server as a new version
• create_folder - Create a folder in the project
• delete_file - Delete a file from the project
• delete_project - Delete a Ghidra project (headless only)
• export_program - Export an open or project-resident program to a Ghidra Zip File (.gzf)
• get_project_info - Get info about the currently open project
• import_program - Import a Ghidra Zip File (.gzf) into the currently open project as a new DomainFile under target_folder (default '/')
• list_projects - List available Ghidra projects (headless only)
• move_file - Move a program file to a different folder in the project, preserving analysis and documentation
• move_folder - Move a project folder and everything under it into another folder
• restore_project - Restore a Ghidra .gar archive into a fresh on-disk project at parent_dir/project_name

Headless Project & Program Lifecycle

Available on the standalone headless server (GhidraMCPHeadlessServer).

• close_project - Close the currently open project (headless only)
• create_project - Create a new Ghidra project (headless only)
• open_project - Open an existing Ghidra project (.gpr file or directory)

Listing & Enumeration

• convert_number - Convert number between bases
• find_functions - Find functions: every filter is optional, so with none it lists the whole program a page at a time
• get_entry_points - Get program entry points
• get_external_location - Get external location details
• get_function_count - Return the number of functions in the loaded program
• list_calling_conventions - List available calling conventions
• list_data_items_by_xrefs - List data sorted by xref count
• list_globals - List global variables
• list_program_items - List one kind of program inventory with pagination
• list_shadowed_globals - List named global DATA symbols that have NO type of their own because a larger data unit starting at an earlier address covers them
• list_strings - List defined strings
• search_strings - Search defined strings by a regex/substring pattern

Current GUI Context

• get_ui_cursor - What the analyst is looking at right now: cursor address, the function under it, the listing selection, and the focused program — one call instead of four

Functions: Decompile, Rename, Prototypes & Variables

• add_function_tag - Attach one or more tags to a function
• batch_rename_function_components - Batch rename function components
• clear_flow_and_repair - Run Ghidra's GUI 'Clear Flow and Repair' action on a seed range: clears instruction flow reachable from the seed, then repairs function bodies and re-disassembles retained flow (ClearFlowAndRepairCmd with clear_data=false, clear_labels=false, repair=true)
• clear_instruction_flow_override - Clear flow override
• create_function - Create function at address
• delete_function - Delete function at address
• delete_function_tag - Delete a program-wide function tag definition
• disassemble_bytes - Disassemble byte range
• disassemble_function - Disassemble function
• force_decompile - Force fresh decompilation
• get_functions - Everything about one or many functions in a single call
• list_class_members - List the member functions of a C++ class
• list_function_tags - List all program-wide function tag definitions with their use counts
• remove_function_tag - Detach one or more tags from a function
• rename_function - Rename function by name
• rename_variables - Batch rename variables
• set_function_no_return - Set no-return attribute
• set_function_prototype - Set function prototype (return type, param types, calling convention)
• set_function_tag_comment - Update the comment/description on an existing program-wide function tag
• set_function_this_type - Set the decompiler/database type of the implicit 'this' pointer (ECX on x86 __thiscall/__fastcall)
• set_variable_storage - Set variable storage
• set_variable_type - Set the data type of a function variable (local OR parameter) by name at the decompiler (high-level) layer
• set_variables - Set types and names for multiple variables atomically

Symbols, Labels & Globals

• can_rename_at_address - Check if address can be renamed
• create_label - Create label
• delete_label - Delete label at address
• rename_symbol - Rename a symbol of any kind

Cross-References & Call Graphs

• add_memory_reference - Create a user-defined cross-reference between two memory addresses that the auto-analyzer can't infer (runtime-populated pointer tables, vtables, late-bound function pointers, missed jump/switch tables)
• analyze_call_graph - Analyze function call graph patterns
• get_assembly_context - Get assembly context
• get_full_call_graph - Get full call graph
• get_function_call_graph - Get call graph
• get_xrefs_from - Get references from address
• get_xrefs_to - Get references to address
• remove_reference - Remove memory cross-reference(s) from one address to another — the inverse of add_memory_reference

Data Types & Structures

• add_struct_field - Add struct field
• analyze_global_completeness - Score a global variable's documentation completeness on a budgeted 0-100 scale — the data-address analog of analyze_function_completeness
• analyze_struct_field_usage - Analyze struct field usage
• apply_data_classification - Apply data classification
• apply_data_type - Apply data type
• audit_global - Audit a global variable's documentation state
• audit_globals_in_function - Audit every global variable referenced from within a function in one call
• clone_data_type - Clone data type
• create_data_type_category - Create data type category
• create_derived_type - Create a type built on another: a typedef alias, an array or a pointer
• create_enum - Create enumeration
• create_function_signature - Create function signature type
• create_struct - Create structure
• create_union - Create union
• delete_data_type - Delete data type
• find_data_types - Find data types by name or path pattern, category and kind, one record per type (name, kind, category, size, path)
• get_enum_values - Get enumeration values
• get_struct_layout - Get structure layout
• get_type_size - Get data type size and info
• get_valid_data_types - Get valid data type names
• import_data_types - Import data types from GDT
• modify_struct_field - Modify struct field
• move_data_type_to_category - Move data type to category
• recreate_struct - Replace a structure in one step: optionally remove an existing same-named type, then create with fields JSON (same shape as create_struct)
• remove_struct_field - Remove struct field
• rename_data_type - Rename a data type (struct, union, enum, typedef) in place, preserving existing applications of it
• resize_struct - Grow or shrink an existing structure by total byte size
• resolve_duplicate_type - Find duplicate data types by simple name; delete unused /Demangler size-1 stubs when a larger canonical type exists
• set_global - Atomically apply name + type + plate-comment + array length to a global variable
• suggest_field_names - Suggest field names
• validate_data_type - Validate data type syntax
• validate_function_prototype - Validate function prototype

Comments

• batch_set_comments - Set multiple comments
• clear_function_comments - Clear all comments for a function
• get_comment - Get listing comments (plate/pre/eol/post/repeatable) at ANY address, including data addresses (works on functions and data globals alike)
• set_comment - Set a listing comment of a given kind (plate/pre/eol/post/repeatable) at ANY address, including data addresses

Analysis

• analyze_control_flow - Analyze control flow
• analyze_data_region - Analyze data region
• analyze_dataflow - Trace value propagation through a function (PCode graph, forward/backward)
• analyze_for_documentation - Composite RE documentation analysis (decompile + classify + variables + completeness)
• analyze_function_complete - Comprehensive single-call function analysis
• analyze_function_completeness - Analyze documentation completeness
• batch_apply_documentation - Apply all documentation to a function in one call
• configure_analyzer - Configure an analysis plugin
• detect_array_bounds - Detect array bounds
• find_code_gaps - Find gaps of undefined bytes between functions in executable memory
• find_dead_code - Find dead code
• find_next_undefined_function - Find next undefined function
• find_similar_functions - Find similar functions
• get_field_access_context - Get field access context
• get_function_pcode - Dump raw P-code for a function (issue #192)
• inspect_memory_content - Inspect memory bytes
• list_analyzers - List available analysis plugins
• run_analysis - Run auto-analysis on the current program
• search_byte_patterns - Search for byte patterns
• search_instructions - Search for instructions by mnemonic and/or operand substring

Malware & Anti-Analysis

• analyze_api_call_chains - Analyze API call chains
• detect_crypto_constants - Detect crypto constants
• detect_malware_behaviors - Detect malware behaviors
• extract_iocs_with_context - Extract IOCs with context
• find_anti_analysis_techniques - Find anti-analysis techniques

Cross-Binary Documentation & Archive

• apply_function_documentation - Apply function documentation
• archive_ingest_function - Ingest a single function's documentation into the cross-version archive (re_kb.functions on bsim Postgres)
• archive_ingest_program - Bulk-ingest every function in a program into the cross-version documentation archive
• batch_string_anchor_report - Report of source file strings and their FUN_* functions
• bulk_fuzzy_match - Bulk cross-binary function matching
• compare_programs_documentation - Compare documentation across programs
• diff_functions - Diff two functions
• find_similar_functions_fuzzy - Cross-binary fuzzy function matching
• find_undocumented_by_string - Find undocumented functions referencing string
• get_function_documentation - Export function documentation
• get_function_hash - Get function hash
• merge_program_documentation - Bulk merge: copy all RE documentation (function names, signatures, plate comments, instruction comments at EOL/PRE/POST, non-default labels & global symbols) from one program to another at matching addresses

Health, Schema & Tool Control

• check_connection - Health check endpoint
• mcp_health - HTTP server health: pool stats, uptime, memory, active request count
• mcp_schema - Machine-readable API schema with endpoint metadata
• tool_goto_address - Navigate CodeBrowser listing and decompiler to a specific address (GUI only)
• tool_running_tools - List all running Ghidra tool windows (GUI only)

Emulation

• emulate_function - Emulate a single function with controlled register/memory inputs
• emulate_hash_batch - Brute-force API hash resolution

Ghidra Server & Version Control

• server_admin_set_permissions - Set user permissions on a repository
• server_admin_terminate_all_checkouts - Terminate all checkouts in a folder recursively
• server_admin_terminate_checkout - Terminate all checkouts on a single file
• server_admin_users - List all users on the server
• server_authenticate - Register server credentials for programmatic authentication
• server_checkouts - List all checked-out files in a folder, including server-side checkouts
• server_connect - Report/establish the Ghidra server connection
• server_disconnect - Disconnect from the Ghidra server
• server_repositories - List repositories on the connected server
• server_repository_create - Create a new repository on the server
• server_repository_file - Get file info from a server repository
• server_repository_files - List files in a server repository folder
• server_status - Check headless server connection status
• server_version_control_add - Add a file to version control
• server_version_control_checkout - Check out a version-controlled file
• server_version_control_undo_checkout - Undo a file checkout
• server_version_history - Get version history for a file

Debugger (Ghidra TraceRmi)

On Windows hosts where the bridge's WinDbg debugger proxy is active (GHIDRA_DEBUGGER_URL), colliding names get a _2 suffix (e.g. debugger_status_2).

• debugger_dynamic_to_static - Translate a runtime dynamic address from the current trace back to a static Ghidra program address (GUI only)
• debugger_interrupt - Interrupt (break into) the running target (GUI only)
• debugger_launch - Launch an executable through Ghidra's Trace RMI debugger launcher (GUI only)
• debugger_launch_offers - List available debugger launch/attach options for the current program (GUI only)
• debugger_list_breakpoints - List all breakpoints in the current trace (GUI only)
• debugger_modules - List modules (DLLs/EXEs) loaded in the debugged process (GUI only)
• debugger_read_memory - Read memory from the debugged process (GUI only)
• debugger_registers - Read CPU registers from the current debug trace snapshot (GUI only)
• debugger_remove_breakpoint - Remove a breakpoint at an address (GUI only)
• debugger_resume - Resume execution of the debugged process (GUI only)
• debugger_set_breakpoint - Set a software execution breakpoint at an address in the trace (GUI only)
• debugger_stack_trace - Get the call stack backtrace for the current thread (GUI only)
• debugger_static_to_dynamic - Translate a static Ghidra program address to a runtime dynamic address in the current trace (GUI only)
• debugger_status - Get debugger status: active trace, thread, execution state, module count (GUI only)
• debugger_step - Single-step the debugged process: into the next instruction (follows calls), over it (does not follow calls), or out of the current function (run to return) (GUI only)
• debugger_traces - List all open debug traces (GUI only)

System

• prompt_policy - Temporarily enable, disable, or query scoped automation prompt handling (GUI only)

Bridge Static Tools

Defined in the Python bridge itself (instance discovery, tool-group management); always available even before a Ghidra connection. The bridge also proxies 22 debugger_* WinDbg tools when GHIDRA_DEBUGGER_URL points at the standalone debugger server.

• check_tools - Report which tools are currently registered and callable
• connect_instance - Connect the bridge to a specific Ghidra instance
• import_file - Import a binary from disk into the current project and open it
• list_instances - Discover running Ghidra MCP instances (UDS + TCP port scan)
• list_tool_groups - List tool groups and their load state
• load_tool_group - Register a tool group's dynamic tools with the MCP client
• search_tools - Search the full tool catalog by keyword
• unload_tool_group - Unregister a tool group's dynamic tools

See CHANGELOG.md for version history.

🏗️ Architecture

┌─────────────────┐    ┌─────────────────┐    ┌─────────────────┐
│   AI/Automation │◄──►│   MCP Bridge    │◄──►│  Ghidra Plugin  │
│     Tools       │    │ (bridge_mcp_    │    │ (GhidraMCP.jar) │
│  (Claude, etc.) │    │  ghidra/)       │    │                 │
└─────────────────┘    └─────────────────┘    └─────────────────┘
        │                       │                       │
   MCP Protocol            HTTP REST              Ghidra API
(stdio/streamable-http) (localhost:8089)      (Program, Listing)

Components

• python/bridge_mcp_ghidra/ — Python MCP server package (ships as the ghidra-mcp-bridge wheel; bridge-mcp-ghidra console script) that translates MCP protocol to HTTP calls (209 catalog entries)
• GhidraMCP.jar — Ghidra plugin that exposes analysis capabilities via HTTP (205 endpoints)
• GhidraMCPHeadlessServer — Standalone headless server — 190 endpoints, no GUI required
• ghidra_scripts/ — Collection of automation scripts for common tasks

🔧 Development

Building from Source

# Recommended: direct Python-first workflow
python -m tools.setup ensure-prereqs --ghidra-path "C:\ghidra_12.1.3_PUBLIC"
python -m tools.setup build
python -m tools.setup deploy --ghidra-path "C:\ghidra_12.1.3_PUBLIC"

# Version bump (updates all maintained version references atomically)
python -m tools.setup bump-version --new X.Y.Z

The authoritative build system today is Maven. tools.setup, the VS Code tasks, and the documented deploy flow all build through pom.xml and write artifacts to target/. build.gradle remains in the repo as a manual fallback for direct Ghidra/Gradle users, but it is not the primary path.

Command Reference

Command	What it does
ensure-prereqs	Install Python deps + Ghidra Maven JARs in one shot. Start here on a new machine.
preflight	Validate Python, build tool, Ghidra path, and JAR availability without making changes. Add --strict to also check network reachability.
build	Build the plugin JAR and extension ZIP via Maven (or Gradle when TOOLS_SETUP_BACKEND=gradle).
deploy	Copy the built extension into the Ghidra profile and patch FrontEndTool.xml for auto-activation.
start-ghidra	Launch the configured Ghidra installation.
clean	Remove Maven/Gradle build outputs (target/, build/).
clean-all	Remove build outputs plus local cache artifacts (.m2 Ghidra JARs, etc.).
install-ghidra-deps	Install only the Ghidra JARs into ~/.m2. Useful when the build environment changes.
install-python-deps	Install the Python dependency groups via uv sync.
run-tests	Run the Java offline test suite (no live Ghidra needed).
verify-version	Check that version strings are consistent across pom.xml, CHANGELOG.md, and README.md.
bump-version --new X.Y.Z	Atomically update all version references. Pass --tag to create a git tag.

Common flags accepted by most commands:

Flag	Description
--ghidra-path PATH	Ghidra installation directory. Defaults to GHIDRA_PATH from .env.
--dry-run	Print actions without executing them.
--force	Reinstall Ghidra JARs even if already present (install-ghidra-deps, ensure-prereqs).
--with-debugger	Force-install debugger Python requirements (Windows only).
--use-debugger-toggle	Read INSTALL_DEBUGGER_DEPS from .env to decide whether to install debugger deps.
--test TIER	(deploy only) Opt into live deploy regression tiers such as release or debugger-live.
--strict	(preflight only) Also check network reachability for Maven Central and PyPI.

Deploy test tiers are opt-in because benchmark tiers can import/reset Benchmark.dll and BenchmarkDebug.exe in the active Ghidra project. Use --test release before cutting releases, or set GHIDRA_MCP_DEPLOY_TESTS=release in a local .env when you want every deploy on your machine to run the live benchmark regression. The value is validated against the same tier list --test accepts, and an unknown tier is refused rather than skipped. See Testing and Release Regression.

# Standard first-time setup and deploy
python -m tools.setup ensure-prereqs --ghidra-path "C:\ghidra_12.1.3_PUBLIC"
python -m tools.setup build
python -m tools.setup deploy --ghidra-path "C:\ghidra_12.1.3_PUBLIC"

# Preflight check before deploying
python -m tools.setup preflight --strict --ghidra-path "C:\ghidra_12.1.3_PUBLIC"

# Version bump and tag
python -m tools.setup bump-version --new X.Y.Z --tag

# Run offline Java tests
python -m tools.setup run-tests

# Show full help
python -m tools.setup --help

Project Structure

ghidra-mcp/
├── pyproject.toml           # uv project (ghidra-mcp-bridge wheel + dependency groups)
├── python/bridge_mcp_ghidra/ # MCP server package (Python, 209 catalog entries)
├── src/main/java/           # Ghidra plugin + headless server (Java)
│   └── com/xebyte/
│       ├── GhidraMCPPlugin.java         # GUI plugin (205 endpoints)
│       ├── headless/                    # Headless server (190 endpoints)
│       └── core/                        # Shared service layer (14 services)
├── ghidra_scripts/          # Automation scripts for batch workflows
├── tests/                   # Python unit tests + endpoint catalog
│   ├── unit/               # Catalog consistency, schema, tool function tests
│   └── endpoints.json      # Endpoint specification (225 entries)
├── docs/                    # Documentation
│   ├── prompts/            # AI workflow prompts (V5 documentation workflows)
│   ├── releases/           # Version release notes
│   └── project-management/ # Contributor planning docs (Gradle migration, etc.)
├── tools/setup/             # Build and deployment CLI (python -m tools.setup)
├── fun-doc/                 # Internal RE curation tool — not part of the MCP plugin
│                            #   Priority-queue worker, LLM scoring, web dashboard.
│                            #   See fun-doc/README.md for details.
└── .github/workflows/      # CI/CD pipelines

Library Dependencies

Ghidra JARs must be installed into your local Maven repository (~/.m2/repository) before compilation. This is a one-time setup per machine, and again when your Ghidra version changes. -Deploy now installs these automatically by default.

The tool enforces version consistency between:

• pom.xml (ghidra.version)
• --ghidra-path version segment (e.g., ghidra_12.1.3_PUBLIC)

If these do not match, deployment fails fast with a clear error.

Troubleshooting: Version Mismatch

If you see a version mismatch error, align both values:

1. pom.xml → ghidra.version
2. --ghidra-path version segment (ghidra_X.Y.Z_PUBLIC)

Then rerun:

python -m tools.setup preflight --ghidra-path "C:\ghidra_12.1.3_PUBLIC"

# Windows
python -m tools.setup install-ghidra-deps --ghidra-path "C:\path\to\ghidra_12.1.3_PUBLIC"

Required Libraries (14 JARs, ~37MB):

Library	Source Path	Purpose
Base.jar	Features/Base/lib/	Core Ghidra functionality
Decompiler.jar	Features/Decompiler/lib/	Decompilation engine
PDB.jar	Features/PDB/lib/	Microsoft PDB symbol support
FunctionID.jar	Features/FunctionID/lib/	Function identification
SoftwareModeling.jar	Framework/SoftwareModeling/lib/	Program model API
Project.jar	Framework/Project/lib/	Project management
Docking.jar	Framework/Docking/lib/	UI docking framework
Generic.jar	Framework/Generic/lib/	Generic utilities
Utility.jar	Framework/Utility/lib/	Core utilities
Gui.jar	Framework/Gui/lib/	GUI components
FileSystem.jar	Framework/FileSystem/lib/	File system support
Graph.jar	Framework/Graph/lib/	Graph/call graph analysis
DB.jar	Framework/DB/lib/	Database operations
Emulation.jar	Framework/Emulation/lib/	P-code emulation

Note: Libraries are NOT included in the repository (see .gitignore). You must install them from your Ghidra installation before building.

Automation entry point:

• python -m tools.setup is the supported setup/build/deploy/versioning interface
• use ensure-prereqs, build, deploy, preflight, clean-all, and bump-version directly
• these commands currently use Maven as the canonical Java build backend

Development Features

• Automated Deployment: Version-aware deployment script
• Batch Operations: Reduces API calls by 93%
• Atomic Transactions: All-or-nothing semantics
• Comprehensive Logging: Debug and trace capabilities

📚 Documentation

Core Documentation

• Documentation Index - Complete documentation navigation
• Project Structure - Project organization guide
• Testing and Release Regression - Local tests, CI, live Ghidra regression, and release gates
• Naming Conventions - Code naming standards
• Hungarian Notation - Variable naming guide

AI Workflow Prompts

• Function Documentation V5 — Primary workflow: 7-step process with Hungarian notation, type auditing, and verification scoring
• Batch Documentation V5 — Parallel subagent dispatch for multi-function processing
• Orphaned Code Discovery — Automated scanner for undiscovered functions
• Data Type Investigation — Structure discovery and field analysis
• Global Data Analysis — Global naming and analysis
• Quick Start Prompt — Simplified beginner workflow
• All Prompts — Complete prompt index

Release History

• Complete Changelog - All version release notes
• Release Notes - Detailed release documentation

🐳 Headless Server (Docker)

GhidraMCP includes a headless server mode for automated analysis without the Ghidra GUI.

Quick Start with Docker

# Build and run
docker-compose up -d ghidra-mcp

# Test connection
curl http://localhost:8089/check_connection
# {"status": "ok", "server_kind": "headless", "version": "7.0.0"}

Headless API Workflow

# 1. Import a binary into the open project (auto-analysis runs by default)
curl -X POST -H 'Content-Type: application/json' \
     -d '{"file_path": "/data/program.exe"}' http://localhost:8089/import_file

# 2. Re-run auto-analysis later if needed
curl -X POST http://localhost:8089/run_analysis

# 3. List discovered functions
curl "http://localhost:8089/list_functions?limit=20"

# 4. Decompile a function
curl "http://localhost:8089/decompile_function?address=0x401000"

# 5. Get metadata
curl http://localhost:8089/get_metadata

Key Headless Endpoints

Endpoint	Method	Description
/import_file	POST	Import a binary into the project and open it
/open_program	POST	Open a program already in the project (any program= also opens on demand)
/run_analysis	POST	Run Ghidra auto-analysis
/list_functions	GET	List all discovered functions
/list_exports	GET	List exported symbols
/list_imports	GET	List imported symbols
/decompile_function	GET	Decompile function to C code
/create_function	POST	Create function at address
/get_metadata	GET	Get program metadata
/create_project	POST	Create a Ghidra project
/list_analyzers	GET	List available analyzers
/server/status	GET	Check Ghidra Server connection

Configuration

Environment variables for Docker:

• GHIDRA_MCP_PORT - Server port (default: 8089)
• GHIDRA_MCP_BIND_ADDRESS - Bind address (default: 0.0.0.0 in Docker)
• JAVA_OPTS - JVM options (default: -Xmx4g -XX:+UseG1GC)

🤝 Contributing

See CONTRIBUTING.md for detailed contribution guidelines.

Quick Start

1. Fork the repository
2. Create a feature branch (git checkout -b feature/amazing-feature)
3. Build and test your changes (./gradlew buildExtension -PGHIDRA_INSTALL_DIR=/path/to/ghidra, or mvn clean package assembly:single -DskipTests under the Maven backend)
4. Update documentation as needed
5. Commit your changes (git commit -m 'Add amazing feature')
6. Push to the branch (git push origin feature/amazing-feature)
7. Open a Pull Request

📄 License

This project is licensed under the Apache License 2.0 - see the LICENSE file for details.

🏆 Production Status

Metric	Value
Version	7.0.0
MCP Tools	209 fully implemented
GUI Endpoints	205 (GhidraMCPPlugin)
Headless Endpoints	190 (GhidraMCPHeadlessServer)
Compilation	✅ 100% success
Batch Efficiency	93% API call reduction
AI Workflows	7 proven documentation workflows
Ghidra Scripts	Automation scripts included
Documentation	Comprehensive with AI prompts

See CHANGELOG.md for version history and release notes.

🙏 Acknowledgments

This project was originally derived from LaurieWired/GhidraMCP in August 2025 and has since been substantially rewritten and extended. We acknowledge LaurieWired's original work as the starting point. See NOTICE for license attribution.

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Tooling provided by JetBrains through their Open Source Support Program.

👥 Contributors

This project has benefited from the work of dedicated contributors:

Core Contributors

@heeen — Significant contributions including:

• Fuzzy function matching and structured diff for cross-binary comparison (#13)
• Script execution improvements and bug fixes (#12)
• New API endpoints: save_program, exit_ghidra, delete_function, create_memory_block, run_script_inline (#11)
• Architectural vision: annotation-driven design, UDS transport, Python bridge optimization proposals

@huehuehuehueing — Significant contributions including:

• Address-space prefix support — added <space>:<hex> syntax (e.g., mem:1000, code:ff00) to address parsing across the entire endpoint surface, unlocking multi-space targets like embedded firmware (#84, closes #65)

• Optional program parameter + required-param schema fixes — made program optional on every endpoint with a sane currentProgram fallback, and fixed several required-vs-optional schema bugs the catalog had inherited (#92)

• Seeded #44 (data-type / enum tools) — the issue that motivated the v5.0 enum + struct enforcement layer

• Ghidra Team - For the incredible reverse engineering platform

• Model Context Protocol - For the standardized AI integration framework

• Contributors - For testing, feedback, and improvements

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🔗 Related Projects

• re-universe — Ghidra BSim PostgreSQL platform for large-scale binary similarity analysis. Pairs perfectly with GhidraMCP for AI-driven reverse engineering workflows.
• cheat-engine-server-python — MCP server for dynamic memory analysis and debugging.

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Ready for production deployment with enterprise-grade reliability and comprehensive binary analysis capabilities.